Tobacco-box.



No. 842,064. I PATENTED JAN.\22, 1907.

M. B. BEHRMAN.

TOBAGGO BOX. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 4. 1906.

. WITNESSES INVENTOH iii rem 3 3951 20012 S Mafi Y By W ATTORNEYS THEmamas PETERS C0,, wAsmfiuroN, a c

TED STATES PATENT orrron Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed April 4:, 1906. Serial N0- 309.821.

T0 wZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARoUs B. BEHRMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented anImproved Tobacco Box, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a pocket-box adapted to contain a tobacco plug andprovided with a cutting attachment for severing from the plug portionsor sections of a size adapted for chewing.

The forms of box and cutting attachment embodying my invention areconstructed as hereinafter described and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section or" the upper portion of the box, illustrating theoperation of the cutting attach ment. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The box A is constructed of sheet metal in oblong, rectangular, and flatform. It is divided lengthwise by a central transverse partition B, theupper half I) of which is not soldered or otherwise attached to theopposite side Walls of the box, but left free, so that being made ofspring material such free portion may-serve as a spring for holding thelid or cover C closed or open, as required. Such partition B divides thebox into twoequal longitudinal compartments :1; y. (See Fig. 2.) When aplug of a dimension slightly less than that of the box is purchased, itis divided longitudinally into two equal portions and one of suchportions is inserted in the compartment or pocket 00, to be preservedtherein until required for use, while the other portion is placed incompartment y for immediate use. The cover C of compartment 0c is hingedat e and provided with shoulders similar to those usually formed. uponthe shank of a knife-blade, so that the cover C will be held, orpractically locked, in the closed or open position by the pressure ofthe spring I). O are shown in Fig. 2.

Thecutting attachment is applied to the compartment y and comprises acutter proper, D, and an arm D, to whose upper end is attached the lowerend of the same, being pivoted to the box proper at d and also extendedand curved outward, as shown at The two positions of the cover d wherebya lever-arm is formed for use in opening the cutter, as will bepresently explained. The blade or cutter D passes through a slot in theside of the compartment@; and a knob cl is applied for the purpose ofreceiving the pressure of the thumb or finger in the act of cutting ofla portion of a plug.

In Fig. 1 the cutting attachment is shown in its normal position orclosed, the blade or cutter D in such case practically closing the topof the compartment y, and thus protecting the plug within. The fulllines, Fig. 2, show the same position of the cutting attachment but thedotted lines indicate the position when the attachment is placed inposition to begin cutting off a chewing-piece from the plug. Suchoperation is better illustrated in Fig. 3, where the blade D is shownsevering a chewing-piece from the body of a plug, the latter beingindicated by dotted lines.

It is obvious that the size of the portion cut off may be varied at willand that this is de terminedby the extent to which the plug is allowedto project from the mouth of the compartment y. It is further apparentthat the curvature of the blade or cutter D corresponds to the radii ofthe circle described from the pivot d of the arm D. The short lever-armD having the knob-like end, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be dispensed with, and the cuttingattachment may be opened by applying outward pressure to the knob orthumb-piece d; but it is conveniently used for retracting or throwingoutward the arm D and the attached cutter, as indicated in Fig. 2, whichoperation is eiiected by pressing upon the knob at D and forcing it intoa slot which is formed in the adj acent portion of the box.

For use in ejecting or forcing out the plug from the compartment ya-pusher E is provided, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) the same having a lug e,that projects through a longitudinal slot (1, formed in the side of thebox. The operation is obvious.

By the construction and arrangement of parts above described I producean improved tobacco-box which is simply, cheaply, and durablyconstructed and adapted to be carried in the pocket to contain andprotect a tobacco plug and having an attachment which may be quickly andeasily operated to sever a portion of a size suitable for chewing.

The trouble and inconvenience attending the use of a pocket-knife forcutting the plug are thus avoided.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination, with a tobacco-box proper, of acutting attachment comprising a blade adapted to sever a projectingportion of a plug, an arm D to whose upper end the said blade isattached, the arm being pivoted to the box and having a lever member Dcurved outwardly from the pivot of the lever,

so that it may be pressed inward for movingthe other portion of the armoutward and thus withdrawing the blade from the boX, as shown anddescribed.

2. An improved tobacc0-box comprising the box proper having a centralpartition dividing it into two compartments, the outer portion of suchpartition being left free and constructed of spring material, and acover for one of the compartments which is pivoted adjacent to the freeend of the partition and adapted to be held closed or open thereby, anda blade adapted to traverse the adjoining compartment substantially asdescribed.

3. The improved tobacco-box comprising a boX proper having a centralpartition which divides it into two comp artments, one for temporarystorage of a plug and the other for containing a plug for immediate use,a pivoted lid or cover for the storage-compartment, the free spring endof the partition abutting the pivot end of said lid, and a cuttingattachment including a blade adapted to traverse the mouth of theadjacent compartment whose inner side is formed by said partition,substantially as described.v

MARCUS B. BEHRMAN.

Witnesses O. W. RosENAUR, LEON BENN.

